Temperature conditioning apparatus for the trunk of a human body

BACKGROUND

1. Background of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to apparatus for selectively heating or cooling the human body trunk which is adapted to be worn under outer protective equipment or clothing items such as a so-called bulletproof vest or jacket, fireman or firefighter garb, bio/chemical protective suit, or the like.

2. Description of Related Art

In many situations an individual may find it necessary or highly desirable to wear protective gear such as a bulletproof vest for a policeman or fire protection gear for a fireman, for example. Such gear, although highly useful and even life protecting, is uncomfortable when worn for a length of time especially during warm or humid weather.

It is therefore a desideratum to provide a means and method of supplementing protective gear with cooling/heating equipment that alleviates uncomfortable aspects of wearing the gear resulting from an increase or decrease in the wearer's temperature while wearing the gear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the practice of the present invention there is provided temperature modification equipment which is securable about the trunk of a human being and can be worn underneath outer protective clothing or gear.

According to another object the temperature modification equipment and the protective clothing or gear are unitarily related and worn as a single unit by an individual.

In yet other objects the temperature modification equipment is powered by a battery source mounted to a belt means worn by the wearer of the temperature modification equipment, or battery pack mounted to other parts of the wearer's body, or externally provided electrical energy source (e.g., in a vehicle).

A still further object provides a thermoelectric heat pump for utilization as a cooling or heating means in the described temperature modification equipment.

Yet another object is the provision of a Stirling cycle heat pump to serve as a cooling means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the attached drawings in which:

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is an elevational view of a first embodiment of a temperature conditioned garment of the invention shown in extended relation;

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a sectional view taken along line <b>2</b>—<b>2</b> of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>;

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a rear elevation of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>;

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a top plan, sectional view showing the first embodiment of the invention and protective gear added;

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> is a sectional view similar to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> of a second embodiment incorporating a protective layer incorporated within each panel; and

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> is sectional view of a third embodiment especially adapted for use with biological or chemical warfare protection gear.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For the ensuing description of the invention, reference is made to the drawing and particularly <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> where a vestlike arrangement <b>10</b> is shown. Specifically, the arrangement <b>10</b> includes a generally rectangular front panel <b>12</b> which is dimensioned to extend and cover the front part of a wearer's body from the shoulders down to the lower waist and transversely from one side of the body to the other. Although not shown, the front panel can be specially contoured to adapt to either a male or female. A back panel <b>14</b> preferably constructed in the same manner and dimensions as the front panel <b>12</b> is interconnected with the front panel by first and second flexible right side straps <b>16</b> and <b>18</b> that are end connected to the two panels. A further pair of flexible straps <b>20</b> and <b>22</b> each have one end secured to the back panel <b>14</b> and the outer ends thereof are removably secured to the front panel such as by a so-called Velcro means, for example. Still further, a pair of flexible spaced apart shoulder straps <b>24</b> and <b>26</b> have one end of each secured to what is a top edge of the back panel <b>14</b> and the other ends are removably attached to what is a forward facing surface of the front panel by a suitable means such as a Velcro connector.

In use, the arrangement <b>10</b> is worn by an individual and removably secured in place by the shoulder straps <b>20</b> and the right side straps <b>16</b> and <b>18</b> thereby comfortably positioning the front panel across and contacting the chest of the wearer while at the same time the back panel <b>14</b> is contiguous with the back of the wearer. In a way that will be more specifically described, the front and back panels will be cooled or heated, as the case may be, which will result in the contacted body parts being correspondingly cooled or heated, as the case may be, and thus the entire body.

Turning to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, each of the panels includes a flexible outer layer <b>28</b> made of an air impermeable material, an inner air flow layer <b>30</b> and an inwardly facing layer <b>32</b> constructed of an air permeable material. The air flow layer <b>30</b> is preferably constructed of a plurality of generally cylindrical tubes <b>34</b> in side by side relation, each tube formed by woven fibers and the individual tubes held together in a layer by further fibers transversely woven through the tubes. Such a layer <b>28</b> is capable of readily transmitting air along the axes of the tubes <b>34</b> (i.e., primarily from one side of a panel <b>12</b>, <b>14</b> to the other) and allowing air transfer to a lesser extent transversely of the tubes. A satisfactory woven tubular material from which a layer <b>28</b> can be made is manufactured by Pittsfield Weaving Inc., Pittsfield, N.H. and sold under the trade designation 9006-007-1.

Turning now to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>, to accommodate the readily apparent restricted space and weight requirements imposed by the invention, it is preferable that a heat pump <b>36</b> for cooling or heating to provide the temperature conditioning of the invention be an electrically powered thermoelectric device. For the following discussion of operation, it will be assumed that “cooling” is being achieved.

With appropriate polarity of electrical interconnection, the heat pump <b>36</b> produces a “cold” region of the pump and an electrical fan <b>38</b> directs a stream of air across the “cold” region having heat exchanger elements (e.g., fins, pins) effecting cooling of the air stream after which the so-cooled air moves via a manifold <b>40</b> into and through the layers <b>30</b> of both the front and back panels <b>12</b> and <b>14</b>. The cooled air exits the back panel <b>12</b> via a plurality of vents <b>42</b> arranged along the panel left side. Similarly, the pressurized cooled air after passing through the front panel <b>14</b> empties into the ambient air via vents <b>44</b> spaced apart along the front panel left side (<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>). The cooled air passing through layers <b>30</b> results in cooling of the inwardly facing layer <b>32</b> (as well as passing therethrough) and thus cooling the individual wearing the arrangement. The manifold <b>40</b> constructed of relatively bendable plastic, as its name suggests, is a hollow conduit interconnecting with the heat pump <b>36</b> to receive cold pressurized air and pass it to and through the air flow layers <b>30</b>, and also use a portion of the pressurized uncooled air to remove waste heat of the pump to the ambient as shown by the arrow <b>43</b> (<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>).

As shown best in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, when used in combination with protective gear such as a bulletproof vest, for example, the arrangement <b>10</b> is first put on by an individual <b>46</b> as described in the immediately preceding paragraphs, following which a bulletproof vest <b>48</b> (shown schematically) is placed over the underlying arrangement <b>10</b> in the same general manner in which it would be worn if there were no cooling apparatus. Since bulletproof vests are available in a variety specific constructions, such a vest is shown schematically in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> as presenting front and back layers <b>48</b> to protect the body against gunfire from the front and rear.

For the ensuing description of a second embodiment of the invention in which the protective garment and temperature conditioning are unitarily related into a single garment <b>50</b>, reference is made to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>. The temperature conditioning apparatus includes an air flow layer <b>52</b> which can be identical to to the layer <b>30</b> of the first described embodiment and an inner air permeable layer <b>54</b> that is contemplated to face toward and contact the individual <b>46</b> when worn. As in the first embodiment, the layers <b>52</b> and <b>54</b> are arranged to form two panels, namely, a front panel and a back panel. Instead of a further air impermeable layer as in the first embodiment, a bulletproof layer <b>56</b> that is also air impermeable encloses the outer surface of the air flow layer <b>52</b> of each panel and is edge secured thereto in a manner preventing the temperature conditioned air from escaping from the layer <b>52</b> except at one or more vents <b>58</b> located at the edges of the front and back panels and through layer <b>54</b>. Shoulder and side straps are provided for aiding in wearing the overall garment as first earlier described. An advantage of this embodiment is that the overall garment is lighter and less bulky in that an outer covering layer has been eliminated and separate tie straps for the bulletproof garment or layer <b>56</b> may also be eliminated, in some cases.

As a still further version, reference is made to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> where the invention is utilized in connection with a protective garment <b>60</b> that completely encloses the wearer from the ambient such as in biological and chemical warfare gear. A vestlike arrangement <b>61</b> is located within the garment <b>60</b> and includes a cooling/heating apparatus <b>62</b> that is preferably a thermoelectric device mounted with a first blower apparatus <b>64</b> located outside the protective garment <b>60</b> for removing waste heat. Assuming cooling is desired, the apparatus cooling region has a main heat exchanger <b>61</b> located within the protective garment <b>60</b>. A second blower apparatus <b>66</b> located within the garment <b>60</b> moves pressurized air along a conduit <b>68</b> through an air flow layer <b>70</b> in a back panel <b>72</b> (which can be constructed as the version shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>), an air duct <b>74</b> to and past the main heat exchanger <b>61</b> of the heat pump, via a further air duct <b>78</b>, through an air flow layer <b>80</b> in a front panel <b>82</b> and returning to the second blower apparatus via yet another air duct <b>84</b>. In general operation, conditioned air is circulated and recirculated through that part of the arrangement <b>61</b> within protective garment <b>60</b> while at the same time waste heat is directly emptied into the ambient all of this being achieved without impairing the integrity of the protective garment <b>60</b>.

Although the invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments, it is to be understood that those skilled in the appertaining arts may suggest modifications that come within the spirit of the invention as described and shown and within the ambit of the appended claims.